Critical+Thinking

Critical thinkingis the ability to make rational decisions about what to do and what to believe. One obejective of a school is to enhance students' abilities to think critically to make rational decisions about what to do and what to believe(Marzano, 1995). An example of critical thinking would include identifying advertisements which are misleading,and assumptions or fallacies in arguments(Slavin,2009).

“Higher-order thinking requires that students learn how to critically think about subject matter while teachers incorporate specific practices such as concept identification, concept mapping, decision making, creativity, convergent thinking, divergent thinking, problem solving, problem-based learning, transfer, making connections, metacognitive awareness, finding and evaluating information, and comparing and contrasting within their lesson plans (Slavin 127-129).

Students need to have many opportunities to practice if they are to learn how to think critically. In order for a teacher to effectively teach students how to think critically, the classroom needs to encourage students to freely speak and share their different opinions. Also, there should be more emphasis placed on how they obtained the information to an answer than the correct answer. Topics that the students are more familar with will aid students to think more critically. The list below contains ten critical-thinking skills which have been identified(Beyer, 1988):

1.Distinguishing between verifiable facts and value claims 2.Distinguishing relevant from irrelevant information, claims, or reasons 3.Determining the factual accuracy of a statement 4.Determining the credibility of a source 5. Identifying ambiguous claims or arguments 6.Identifying unstated assumptions 7.Identifying logical fallacies 8.Recognizing logical inconsistencies in a line of reasooning 9. Detecting bias 10.Determining the strength of an argument or claim (Beyer, l988)(p.57)

Temple University also recognizes the importance of Critical thinking skills and encourages teachers to structure lesson plans keeping that principle in mind. Temple's third education standard is as follows: ** Standard 3: Critical/Creative Thinking: Teaching for All Students that Promotes Critical/Creative Thinking **

The teacher demonstrates the ability to design lessons that
 * Engage all students in higher-order thinking
 * Provide an opportunity for students to develop innovative ideas and strategies.
 * Support students in doing that critical/creative thinking
 * Creating a classroom culture that rewards innovation and risk-taking.
 * Encourage students to reflect upon their thinking so that they can transfer it to new learning situations.


 * John Dewey** (October 20, 1859 – June 1, 1952) was an American philosopher and psychologist, and educational reformer whos ideas have been influential in education and social reform. Dewey was an important early developer of the philosophy of pragmaticism and one of the founders of functional psychology. He was a major representative of the progressive and progressive populist philosophies of schooling during the first half of the 20th century in the USA.

John Dewey's significance for informal educators lies in a number of areas. First, his belief that education must engage with and enlarge experience has continued to be a significant strand in informal education practice. Second, and linked to this, Dewey's exploration of thinking and reflection - and the associated role of educators - has continued to be an inspiration. We can see it at work, for example, in the models developed by writers such as David Boud and Donald Schön. Third, his concern with interaction and environments for learning provide a continuing framework for practice. Last, his passion for democracy, for educating so that all may share in a common life, provides a strong rationale for practice in the associational settings in which informal educators work.